Football 'goes deeper' for Ipswich businesses

Gareth Harper who owns Bar 21 on St Nicholas Street said this was the turning point for the town

Ipswich Town Football Club is gearing up for a possible promotion to the Premier League and the town is rife with positive energy.

The Tractor Boys take on Huddersfield Town later and need one point to secure promotion into the top flight.

Fans from across the world have flown in to see possible history made while businesses have transformed shop fronts blue and white to support the team.

The nervous energy is palpable across the town ahead of the huge match.

'Turning point for Ipswich'

Bar 21 has been decorated with Ipswich Town memorabilia ahead of the final game of the season

"This is massive and goes a lot deeper than football now," said Gareth Harper, the owner of Bar 21 on St Nicholas Street.

Mr Harper decorated the bar the support the football club and called on other businesses to do the same this week.

He believed a potential promotion for the club could bring positives to the wider economy.

"Ipswich is going to be a lot more attractive to other businesses who will want to invest in the town," he explained.

"It's about the bigger picture, I want everyone to gain from this, it's not just about Bar 21."

'More prosperity'

Louise Cammell hopes a potential promotion will help The Station Hotel grow its business

Louise Cammell, shift manager at The Station Hotel on Burrell Road, said she was "very hopeful" of promotion.

"It's an extremely exciting prospect - it'll mean more people coming down, more people attending and more for the town," she said.

"It does feel like everything has shut down and we don't have a lot in the town centre like we used to.

"I'd be happy to see more prosperity."

'Putting Ipswich back on the map'

Peter Richards said a promotion could help things improve in Ipswich

"At the end of the day, we've just got to go for it," said Peter Richards, 70, a Town fan and resident.

Mr Richards was in "no doubt" that Town has a good team.

He was also hopeful that a promotion could be good for the wider town.

"It'll put Ipswich back on the map where we belong."

'Last bit of icing on the cake'

Ipswich has been turning blue and white ahead of Saturday's game

George Burley is a man who knows all too well about what a Premier League promotion can feel like.

The former Ipswich Town manager took the team into the Premiership 24 years ago in 2000.

He said the support for Kieran McKenna's team had been "absolutely fantastic" this past season.

"It's been a build up for the last couple of years with the team and club getting stronger," he said.

"Everybody just wants to talk about the football and it is great to see it coming back to where it once was.

"Kieran has done a fantastic job and brought them all together."

Burley said if the club was promoted, the next challenge "is to get better".

"Life is like that," he continued. "You can't sit back on your laurels, you've got to say right we've done this so far, we've got to do even better next season.

"We've just got to put that last bit of icing on the cake and then everybody can look forward to Manchester City and United next season."